Improvement in buckles



G. HERSOME.

Buckle.

No. 206,785. Patented Aug. 6,1878.

FIG. 4.

INVENTOR.

MPErERs, PuwmLlTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN HERSOME, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUCKLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 206,785, dated August 6, 1878; application filed May 8, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN HERSOME, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Buckle, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This improved buckle is more especially designed for boots and shoes; and it is composed of a frame having two side and two end bars, a tongue for the running-strap, and a plate through which to attach the buckle to the standing-strap or upper of the boot or shoe.

The attaching-plate isprovided with prongs for passing through slits in the standing-strap, and adapted to be clinched in position upon said strap, for securing the buckle thereto, as will be more particularlyhereinafter described.

In the accompanying plate of drawings of my improved buckle, Figure 1 is a face view, showing it attached to a standing-strap; Fig. 2, a section on line a a, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a face view of the buckle-frame with the attachingplate and tongue detached; Fig. 4, a section on line 3 y, Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6, outer and inner face views of the attaching-plate detached from the frame and tongue, but attached to the standing-strap. Figs. 7 and S are sections, respectively, on lines as a" and 51 y of Fig. 5; Fig. 9, an outer face view of the attaching-plate detached from the frame, but attached to the standing-strap and to the tongue; Fig. 10, a section 011 line 2 2, Fig. 9; and Fig. 11, a view in detail of the attachingprongs.

In the drawings, A represents the frame, B the attaching-plate, and O the tongue, of my improved buckle. The frame A is composed of two parallel side bars, a a, and two parallel end bars, b b, and the inner edge, e, of each side bar a has a similar inwardly-projecting piece, (1, each of which has a similar opening or eye, f, the two eyes f being in a transverse line of the frame, which is parallel to the end bars, I) b, of the frame. The attaching-plate B has a width equal to the, inner width of the frame A, and in its width has prongs g g, and at one end, h, two ear-pieces, l l, midway between which is an eye, D. The tongue 0 is of the usual construction in buckles.

Each ear-piece l of the attaching-plate is passed through an eye, f, of the frame A, and

bent around its wall m, which fastens and hinges the plate B to the frame A, and the end a of the tongue 0 is passed through the eye D of the attaching-plateB, and thus the buckle is made complete for use, and in being used it is fastened to the standing-strap by passing the prongs g g of the attaching-plate B through slits properly cut in the strap to receive them, and then bending and clinching such prongs over and upon the under side of the standingstrap, all as is plainly shown in the drawings.

In Figs.1 and 2 the attaching-plate is shown as provided with two prongs, g g, and in Figs. 5 and 6 as provided with three prongs, g g g",- and in each instance the prongs are in one piece with the plate B, and are made therefrom by suitably cutting the metal of the plate to produce them; but in Figs. 9, 10, and 11 the prongs g g are separate from the plate B, but in one piece, and passed through slits 0 p in the attaching-plate 13.

The buckle-frame, with its eyes f f, the attaching-plate B, with its prongs g g or slits o p for the passage of prongs through it, and its ear-pieces Z Z and eye D, as well as the tongue 0, are made of sheet metal, and each part is preferably in one piece, and is produced by punching it from a piece of metal of suitable size.

It is desirable that the prongs g of the attaching-plate, when bent and clinched to the standing-strap, will lie across in lieu of along the length of the strap, as in the latter case, their edges q r s twould be presented to the line with the strain on the strap, and there would be more or less liability of their cutting the strap. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 9, and 10, this desirability is secured with both prongs, but as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 with only one prong, of the three prongs g g 9 the situation of the other two, 9 9, being such as when bent either toward or away from each other in either case, at right angles to the direction of the bend of the prong 9 their edges are presented to the length of the strap. The combined clinch of three prongs, g g g the two 9 g in a direction transversely to the clinch of the other one, 9 however, offsets whatever disadvantage there may be in the fact that the two transverse clinching-prongs present their edges to the length of the strap; and, furthermore, obviously, the degree of such edge presentation may be more or less modified without detracting materially from the advantage obtained in their said transverse clinch by so disposing them in the plate that their edges will lie more or less angnlarly to the length of the strap. A three-prongei'l attaching-plate, obviously, is most advantageous, as it secures one additional fastening or clinch overa two-pronged attaching-plate; and as the bend of one of the prongs lies across the length of the strap, obviously the other two prongs, which (more or less) at their bend lie along the length of the strap, are prevented, to all practical intents and purposes, from cut ting the strap.

1 do not claim an attaching-plate having two prongs, one of which is located at the end of said plate. while the other is cut from the internal portion of said plate, both of said prongs being: in line with each other, as such is old and well known; but.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A buckle composed of a frame, A, havin g side and end bars a a b b, and eyes f f on its side bars, an attaehing- 'ilate, B, hinged to the eyes f of the frame A, and adapted by prongs to be fastened to the standing-strap, and a tongue, 0, hinged to the attachingplate B, all substantially as described. I

2. The attachingplate B, constructed or provided with three prongs, g g g, for passing through slits in the standing-strap, and two of which prongs, g g, are adapted to be clinched in position in a direction transverse or at right angles to the remaining prong, g", when clinched substantially as and for the purpose described.

(ALVIN HERSOME. Witnesses:

EDWIN \l'. 'IlnoWN, (ind, H. EARL. 

